Exclusive Interview with ‘The Pitt’ Actress, Amielynn Abellera

Award-winning Filipino American voice and film actress Amielynn Abellera, who is set to captivate audiences in a recurring role on Max’s highly anticipated medical drama series, The Pitt. In this groundbreaking series, Amielynn shares the screen with the acclaimed Noah Wyle, adding her dynamic talent to a stellar cast. Known for her remarkable performances, Amielynn has earned recognition for standout roles in hit TV shows such as Bosch: Legacy, TheCleaning Lady, NCIS, and Shrinking.

Amielynn, welcome to OLC! Congratulations on your role in The Pitt! What drew you to this groundbreaking series, and what can you share about your character’s journey?

Thank you so much for the warm welcome! I’m thrilled, crazy excited, and so lucky to be part of The Pitt.

To name a few of the infinite elements that drew me to this series:

– John Wells is a legend and one of the most esteemed and respected creators in the industry. The artists he gathered for The Pitt – behind and in front of the camera –  are the best in their field, many of whom worked on his other shows. It’s a dream to be alongside such a prolific team and experience their expertise at work.

– I love medical shows! I grew up watching Grey’s Anatomy, and my mom watched ER. I’ve always had a deep interest in medicine and the patient/practitioner dynamic. I almost went to medical school before realizing my true passion was to be an actor.

– I’ve dreamed of being involved in a project from the beginning as one of the many seeds collaborating together to grow the machine. As we near the end of our 7-month journey, I’m in awe of what we’ve created and the team we’ve become.

The Pitt brings together a stellar cast, including Noah Wyle. What was it like working alongside such acclaimed talent, and did you have any memorable moments on set?

I grew up admiring Noah Wyle in projects prominent and influential to my being an actor – Swing Kids, A Few Good Men, ER, etc. Only in my wildest dreams did I imagine ever working with him.

Noah is a powerful artist. He’s calm, professional, and always prepared. His quiet repose and intelligence translate seamlessly into the most complicated actions and medical language while expressing a rich, complicated inner life. And it’s effortless.

He is also extraordinarily kind, generous, and humble. He connects with everyone on set (cast, crew, background) to express his gratitude for their contributions to the show. He always has joy and playfulness for the work—walking in every day with a kid-in-a-candy-store level of excitement to be creating The Pitt and sharing these stories.

I watch him every day, amazed and inspired. He’s a walking acting master class.

Representation is such an important part of your work. How does it feel to contribute authentic Filipino American representation to this project, and how do you hope it resonates with audiences?

I’ve been given an incredible gift. As a Filipino American artist, I know I’m not alone in feeling frustrated and overwhelmed with longing to be represented in mainstream media. I’ve felt this way throughout my journey as an actor, as roles seemed to be cast based on who aesthetically and conventionally fit the part rather than talent and/or a decision to authentically represent the diverse world around us. Only recently (the past 10 years, give or take) have I observed a shift – a curiosity and openness to Filipino representation in my art (film, television, theatre) and the life around me (food, sports, fashion, music).

Additionally, my character in The Pitt, Perlah Alawi, is a Filipino Muslim nurse. This subgroup is a minority within a larger minority, therefore lacking even more opportunity for expression in our spaces – media, art, or otherwise. The Pitt aims to expand Filipino Muslim representation, and I’m honored to contribute.

You’ve had incredible roles in Bosch: Legacy, The Cleaning Lady, NCIS, and Shrinking. How does your role in The Pitt differ from your past performances?

I’ve had opportunities to play characters in broader timelines that exist over days/months, requiring my character to have varied physical and energetic states. For example, the independent film I AM THAT followed my character’s journey over several weeks. So naturally, my character’s physical characteristics (wardrobe, hair, lip color, etc) can naturally change day to day, scene to scene.

However, The Pitt’s unique storyline captures the characters’ existence over the course of only one 15-hour timeframe. So, although we’re filming over the course of 7 months, everything needs to stay the same and can only progress over what would realistically progress over 15 hours. This means my character’s wardrobe doesn’t change, her hair doesn’t grow, she can’t get a tan, she can’t burn her face with a curling iron (which I accidentally did), etc.

It was such a fun, unique challenge that we all had to pay extremely sharp attention to, on and off-screen.

What kind of preparation went into portraying your character in The Pitt, particularly in the high-stakes world of medical drama?

My character, Perlah Alawi, is a registered nurse. She’s additionally unique in that she’s Filipino, Muslim, and speaks Tagalog. It’s been fun to prepare!

My dad was a physician, and my mother was a nurse practitioner. My relatives were dentists, surgeons, nurses, pharmacists, physical therapists, etc. Therefore, I grew up surrounded by all things medical – hospitals, patients, waiting rooms, medical supplies, charts, etc. I was also on the pre-medical track to be a doctor before switching gears to pursue acting. Therefore, the medical language, actions, and situations in The Pitt weren’t completely foreign to me, and I already had a sense of context. We also had a week-long “nursing boot camp” before filming, where real-life nurses coached us in basic procedures like putting in an IV, taking blood pressure, bagging, and compressions.

Regarding Tagalog, I have a somewhat beginner’s knowledge of the language. So when it’s in the script, I have to work on it immediately and triple the effort for it to become second nature. My mother and colleague Kristin Villanueva (the actress playing Princess) helped me pronounce the translations accurately.

As for Perlah’s Muslim faith, I thankfully found several Filipino American Muslims (some of whom worked in a hospital) who were excited to share their knowledge and stories with me. I knew it’d be impossible to grasp the entirety of their experience. But with literature and conversations, I’ve learned (and am still learning) how to accurately incorporate and be conscious of this essential aspect of Perlah.

You’ve earned recognition for your ability to bring depth and authenticity to your characters. How do you approach creating such compelling performances?

Thank you for those kind words regarding my work.

The process is always uniquely challenging, depending on the character’s needs. I start by identifying unauthentic thoughts such as, “What should this character be feeling? What should it look like? What would be the most interesting choice? What would the audience find compelling?”

It’s cutting through that noise and placing the character’s experience in myself (mind, body, and spirit) to allow my own humanity to respond. Then, inform that response with the given circumstances of the character, and something truthful and authentic to myself and the character (hopefully) emerges.

As a celebrated actress, what advice would you give to aspiring Filipino American actors hoping to break into Hollywood?

It’s your time, and the opportunities are waiting for you. Go get ’em!

What do you hope audiences take away from The Pitt, and what impact do you think the show will have on the genre of medical dramas?

Until The Pitt, I had a surface understanding of the devastating impact COVID-19 had on healthcare professionals. COVID cut deep wounds, leaving scars upon scars. Since then, healthcare professionals haven’t had a break, or more specifically, a grieving period to heal. Instead, they keep on working, shouldering not only the challenges that existed before COVID-19 (lack of resources, staff shortages, budget cuts, etc.) but also the added traumatic burden experienced by COVID-19.

The Pitt drops you straight into the chaos of this struggle. I hope audiences appreciate the show and take the opportunity to reflect on the extraordinary resilience of our healthcare heroes.

Looking ahead, are there any dream roles or projects you’d love to pursue, and how do you see your career evolving in the coming years?

Honestly, I can’t really tell you. My career is an unpredictable marathon, and I have never felt in control.

I love projects that explore and express the human condition and its kaleidoscope of joy, pain, struggle, and strength. I dream of abundant projects that encourage audiences (and myself) to love the rollercoaster of life and to never feel alone in their humanity. I can only hope that these opportunities keep coming, my health stays strong, and my passion for it keeps burning.

Email:neill@outloudculture.com
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